Mouth-Breather
by Strippedberry
Summary: Reborn as Kuchi Inuzuka, Taylor Hebert searches for a new purpose... Once again she finds herself preparing to fight. With new allies to aid her, she looks forward with eerie anticipation as she teeters between forging a new identity and following the regrets of the past. Dreaming of Sunshine AU.


**The Dog Days of Summer**

I lied a hand on top of my forehead, the back of it feeling cool as the summer sun's blazing heat beat down on me. Laying down on dry and scorched grass for such a long time was uncomfortable but I really didn't care. I didn't care about anything.

Why... am I even I alive?

I whispered the question to myself as I stared at the deep blue sky. It's darker... than the old world's... With my mind in a daze, I really didn't care for an answer.

Something changed.

What was supposed to be the end my existence had somehow turned in a new chance at life. I thought back to that woman's words. The one that shot me. Contessa. I could remember her name now.

She asked me whether I thought of myself as a hero or a monster. Whether I reveled in the power I gained over others. I forced people—worlds to bend to my will. I helped them fight off an insurmountable being—a god to save reality... becoming one in turn.

I saved them. My friends. My teammates. Even with all the pain and suffering I and endured I could finally rest knowing that they had all made it out alive.

But still...

It didn't feel worth it.

I covered my face with my palm, my eyes closed. Was this even real? All these memories, the reliving of these sensations. It felt so new to this body. This new body. Damn. I was going insane. Maybe this was some sort of dream conjured up by my passenger. Or... perhaps this was the second chance Contessa talked about. Part of the gift the Faerie Queen gave me when she let me go.

…I had no regrets.

That's what I kept telling myself. My life wasn't perfect, I accomplished much but failed at everything I truly wanted. I became a criminal. A warlord. A bully. I became something I despised. But I did what I had to do. What I needed to do.

There was no reason to live anymore.

Maybe I'd—

A soft growl interrupted my thoughts. "How long will you lie there like the living dead, pup?"

Startled, I sat up—glancing at the source of the gruff voice. A dog that looked more like a wolf appeared. He sat by the screen door of the back of our house, watching me intently with a piercing gold eye, the other covered by a black eyepatch. His blue-gray fur looked unkept as always.

"Kuro." Kuromaru. I paused as he observed me with casually, trying to figure out the best way to answer him. Even with my heightened senses of smell and hearing I didn't notice him. "When you there?"

It felt weird to hear a voice that wasn't mine every time I spoke. It felt worse that I couldn't form a coherent sentence to save my life, even when I tried. I was trapped. Limited. The mind of an adult in body with the physical and verbal compacity of a child.

Luckily, Kuromaru understood me well enough. Maybe more than I would have liked him to.

"How long I have I been watching you?" Kuromaru stood up and padded to me, circling around me slowly before coming to an abrupt stop. He stared, his muzzle in my face. "Since you fell out your mother's womb."

Kuromaru backed off, allowing me to ease up as I became less tense.

"Kaa-san womb?" I asked, wondering if he was being facetious or not. Was he warning me that he knew of my secret?"

Kuromaru didn't look at me. Instead, he surveyed the rest of the Inuzuka quarters. My eyes followed his. People were filling the streets, most getting ready for work in the village.

Kuromaru glanced back at me. "You decided to sneak out of your own accord again, have you? I thought Hana told you to stay in the living room with Kiba."

Kiba and Hana. I had siblings here.

"Muu..." I pouted, unable to explain my feelings. "I bored."

Kuromaru sniffs. "We both know that isn't the whole truth."

I remained silent.

Kuromaru padded closer. "You are so similar to Hana, yet so very different."

"Me... dif-fur-en?"

"Yes. Like her, you are advanced for your age. In a way different from your twin brother. I sense an aura of maturity within you." Kuromaru curved tail lengthened, becoming straight while he inspected me. "But I can't seem to understand..." he paused. "What has caused you such a deep sadness."

Kuromaru started to nuzzle me. I ran my pudgy hands through his fur, smoothing what I could.

"You are too young to be tainted by the stench of sorrow that fills this world."

"Aa..." What do you mean?

Kuromaru lifted his muzzle. "You cannot fool me. I know there is much more to you than it seems. But, do not forget, whatever troubles you—whatever you are afraid of, you don't have to face it alone. You have a family here willing to protect you. Your pack."

"Ku!" my brother shouted, his voice traveling from the engawa—causing me and Kuromaru to look up. "Where you?"

I clamped my eyes shut as he kept calling my name, unable to notice we were only a few feet from the house. He could be so annoying sometimes.

Kuromaru frowned, agreeing with me. "Must he bark so loud?"

"Kiba. Kiba!" My older sister quickly followed him out onto the porch, grabbing him by his arm and shoulder before he could jump off. "Calm down. We'll find her. San said she was out her somewhere."

"Buh I not see her!"

Hana frowned as she scanned the backyard for a moment, her eyes snapped our direction. "Ah—There she is, with Kuromaru!"

Before she could say anything else, Kiba broke free from her grip jumping on the grass—scurrying my direction. As Kiba didn't appear to be slowing down before reaching me, I attempted to scoot away, hiding behind Kuromaru. My plan was unsuccessful. Kiba pounced on me like a newborn puppy, colliding with me, head first. We wrestled, rolling around in a tangled mess of arms and legs.

"Ki. Off," I hissed through muffled teeth. While I admired his enthusiasm, I wasn't in the mood to play right now.

Kiba stood up and looked at me triumphantly with his goofy smile, his shaggy hair in a mess. "I find you."

That you did, brother. "Un."

"Are you alright, Kuchi?" Hana said, appearing by my side before I could register that she moved from the porch. She kneeled to get a better look at me, her gaze warm.

I nodded. "Un."

Everyone here was so stealthy, I mused. It made sense though, living in a village where a high majority were capes. They were called ninja here. Even my sister was one and she was only eight-years-old.

Hana smiled. "Good. It's time for you to come back inside. I made breakfast."

I allowed Hana to hold my hand as she held Kiba's; she guided us back to toward the house.

"Don't cause me to worry so much, will you?" she asked.

Before I could reply, Hana came to an abrupt stop. Our mother was leaning on the screen door, her arms folded. Her hair was long, choppy and shaggy, like mine and my brother's. She had a green fleece jacket—a uniform that I hadn't seen before.

"Kaa-san..." Hana seemed shocked. "You're usually not up this early."

"You'd be surprised, little nose."

The edges of Hana's lips curled up in a faint smile. "What brought this on?"

Mother tilted her head slightly and gave her an exasperated look. She resumed her normal posture on the door. "It's time."

Hana's eyes widened. "What? But they're so young."

"Not any younger than you, when you were given the Haimaru brothers."

Mother glanced at Kiba before fixing me with her stare. She leaned off the wall and relaxed her arms, turning away from us to enter the door. "After breakfast, bring them to the kennels. It's time they meet partners of their own."


End file.
